Supreme Court Bars Execution of Minors

The Supreme Court says the death penalty is unconstitutionally cruel for juvenile killers.

Justices ruled five-to-four that the Constitution forbids executing anyone for a crime committed before the age of 18.

The ruling ends a practice used in 19 states and tosses out death sentences of about 70 juvenile murderers. It also blocks states from seeking to execute minors for future crimes.

The court had already barred the death penalty for defendants 15years of age or younger at the time of the crime.

In the ruling, Justice Anthony Kennedy writes society sees juveniles "as categorically less culpable than the average criminal."

In 2002, justices banned the execution of mentally retarded people.

The following is a list of juveniles who were condemed to death in Texas.

Acuna, Robert Aaron: Latin male; age 17 at crime and now 18; robberies and murders of adult white (?) male age 75 and white (?) female age 74 in Baytown (Harris County) on 11-11-2003; sentenced on 8-11-2004

Alvarado, Steven Brian: Latin male; age 17 at crime and now age 29 (DOB: 8-11-1974); robberies and murders of adult Latin male and adult Latin female in El Paso on 9-22-1991; sentenced on 10-5-1993.

Arroyo, Randy: Latin male; age 17 at crime and now age 24 (DOB: 10-31-1979); kidnaping and murder of Latin male age 39 on 3-11-1997 in San Antonio; sentenced on 3-6-1998.

Arthur, Mark Sam: White male; age 17 at crime and now age 24 (DOB: 8-1-1979); murder of Latin male age 41 in Harris County on 12-21-1996; sentenced on 12-17-1997.

Barraza, Mauro Morris: Latin male; age 17 at crime and now age 31 (DOB: 5-5-1972); robbery and murder of white female age 73 in Haltom City (Tarrant County) on 6-14-1989; sentenced on 4-8-1991.

Bernal, Johnnie: Latin male; age 17 at crime and now age 27 (DOB: 8-20-1976); murder of white (?) male age 19 in Houston on 8-19-1994; sentenced on 5-8-1995.

Capetillo, Edward Brian: Latin male; age 17 at crime and now age 26 (DOB: 5-13-1977); murders of white male age 19 and white female age 20 in Harris County on 1-16-1995; sentenced on 2-6-1996.

Cobb, Raymond Levi: White male; age 17 at crime and now age 27 (DOB: 6-18-1976); murders of white female age 23 and white female age 16 months in Huntsville on 12-27-1993; sentenced on 2-27-1997; reversed in 2000; resentenced to death in 2001.

Dewberry, John Curtis: White male; age 17 at crime and now age 27 (DOB: 1-30-1977); murder of white male age 57 in Beaumont (Jefferson County) on 12-25-1994; sentenced on 11-21-1996.

Dickens, Justin Wiley: White male; age 17 at crime and now age 27 (DOB: 7-28-1976); murder of white male age 50 in Randall County on 3-12-1994; sentenced on 5-17-1995.

Dixon, Anthony Tyrone: Black male; age 17 at crime and now age 27 (DOB: 11-7-1976); robbery and murder of white female age 34 in Houston (Harris County) on 5-15-1994; sentenced on 2-8-1995.

Guillen, Derek Jermaine: Black male; age 17 at crime and now age 23 (DOB: 10-20-1980); robbery, rape and murder of white female age 52 in Tempe on 3-26-1998; sentenced on 6-1-1999.

Horn, Patrick: Black male; age 17 at crime and now age 29; kidnaping and murder of male age 8 in Tyler on 10-13-1991; sentenced on 10-4-1999 [currently serving life sentence in federal prison in Atlanta, GA.].

Johnson, Eddie C.: Black male; age 17 at crime and now age 25 (DOB: 11-26-1978); robbery and murder of white male age 42 in Fort Worth on 3-6-1996; sentenced on 7-31-1997.

Jones, Anzel Keon: Black male; age 17 at crime and now age 26 (DOB: 2-4-1978); murder of white female age 49 in Grayson County on 5-2-1995; sentenced on 6-4-1996.

Little, Leo Gordon: White male; age 17 at crime and now age 23 (DOB: 7-14-1980); kidnaping, robbery and murder of Latin male age 22 in San Antonio on 1-22-1998; sentenced on 3-5-1999.

Lopez, Michael Anthony, Jr.: Latin male; age 17 at crime and now age 22 (DOB: 4-28-1981); murder of male age 25 (deputy constable) in Harris County on 9-29-1998; sentenced on 5-25-1999.

Monterrubio, Jose Ignacio: Latin male; age 17 at crime and now age 27 (DOB: 8-26-1976); rape and murder of Latin female age 16 in Brownsville (Cameron County) on 9-5-1993; sentenced on 8-25-1994.

Perez, Efrian: Latin male; age 17 at crime and now age 28 (DOB: 11-19-1975); rape and murder of white female age 14 and white female age 16 in Houston (Harris County) on 6-24-1993; sentenced on 9-22-1994. [Co-defendant of Raul Villareal]

Reeves, Whitney: White male; age 17 at crime and now age 22 (DOB: 8-21-1981); murders of white female age 14 and white male age 40 in Beaumont on 8-20-1999; sentenced on 9-8-2000.

Salinas, Jorge Alfredo: Latin male; age 17 at crime and now age 20 (DOB: 4-1-1984); robbery and murder of Latin male age 20 and Latin female age 21 months in Mission (Hidalgo County) on 7-28-2001; sentenced on 8-29-2002.

Solomon, Christopher Julian: Black male; age 17 at crime and now age 24 (DOB: 1-30-1980); robbery and murder of white male adult in Texarcana on 9-19-1997; sentenced on 6-4-1999.

Soriano, Oswaldo Regalado: Latin male; age 17 at crime and now age 28 (DOB: 6-26-1975); robbery and murder of white male age 59 in Amarillo on 11-17-1992; sentenced on 5-4-1994.

Springsteen, Robert Burns, IV: White male; age 17 at crime and now age 29 (DOB: 11-26-1974); robbery and murder of white female age 13 in Austin on 12-6-1991; sentenced on 6-1-2001.

Tran, Son Vu Khai: Asian-American male; age 17 at crime and now age 23 (DOB: 5-11-1980); murder of Latin male adult and Asian-American male age 20 in Houston on 10-25-1997; sentenced on 12-18-2000.

Villareal, Raul Omar: Latin male; age 17 at crime and now age 28 (DOB: 9-25-1975); rape and murder of white female age 14 and white female age 16 in Houston (Harris County) on 6-24-1993; sentenced on 9-22-1994. [Co-defendant of Efrian Perez]

Williams, Bruce Lee: Black male; age 17 at crime and now age 22 (DOB: 12-16-1981); car-jacking, rape and murder of Asian-American female age 24 in Dallas on 2-3-1999; sentenced on 12-10-1999.

Williams, Nanon McKewn: Black male; age 17 at crime and now age 29 (DOB: 8-2-1974); murder of white male age 19 in Harris County on 5-14-1992; sentenced on 9-22-1995.

Wilson, Geno Capoletti: Black male; age 17 at crime and now age 22 (DOB: 5-24-1981); robbery and murder of male age 19 in Houston on 12-2-1998; sentenced on 12-10-1999.

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